Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck
When you become a widow, the heartache can be overwhelming. You feel lost. You feel broken. You feel alone. And you find yourself trying to pick up the pieces of your life and function. But I believe that every widow has the capacity to endure, that every widow has the power to overcome and the determination to create a new life filled with meaning and purpose. The Widow 180 Podcast is about turning tragedy, loss and fear into strength and creativity and a new passion for life. It's about self-reflection and realizing that we only have this one precious life to live and that a new life and a new you is achievable.Each week I will be interviewing widows, incredible survivors of loss. These women have taken the lessons they've learned and the insights they've gained and used them to grow and transform themselves. Some have started businesses, went back to school, run marathons, lost 100 pounds, and moved across the world! They made a choice not to be held down.How did they do it? How did they get through their grief? What's their secret? What lessons can we learn from them that will transform our own lives? How can we write our own story because our story isn't over yet? How can we begin our Chapter 2? I hope that you are as inspired by these women as I am. And maybe hearing even just one story will be life-changing for you.
Episodes
292 episodes
291. Life Insurance Claim Denied or Delayed? What Every Widow Must Know About Life Insurance! - Interview With Stephie Prestridge of Life Claim
Your husband said there was a life insurance policy. Now you can't find it! The claim is delayed, or a denial letter just arrived! What now?In this episode, we sit down with Stephanie Prestridge, attorney and founder of L...
290. A Grief Therapist on Widowhood: 'Embrace The Suck' And Other Hard Truths - Interview With Lauren White-May
"The hardest part about grief is adapting to your new reality, and adapting to your life without that person in it." - LaurenFour months after losing her husband, Porter, therapist and grief educator Lauren joins us on Widow180 to...
289. Why Cooking After Losing Your Spouse Feels So Hard! (And What Actually Helps)
Nobody warns you that grief shows up in your kitchen! If you've lost your spouse and suddenly can't figure out what to make for dinner — or don't even want to try — you're not alone, and you're not doing anything wro...
288. Premonitions, 3 Promises, and The Gift Of Permission: Interview With Stephanie Edens
In this episode of Widow 180, listeners are invited into the deeply personal journey of Stephanie Edens as she recounts the day her world changed forever with the sudden loss of her husband, Peter. The conversation focused on the intense shock ...
287. Surviving Anniversaries And Birthdays After Losing A Spouse!
In Episode 287 of Widow 180: The Podcast, we take on one of the most challenging and emotionally charged topics for widows: navigating those significant dates on the calendar after loss. Whether it’s wedding anniversaries, birth...
286. Navigating In-Law Drama After Loss: Real Widow Stories of Family, Grief, and Boundaries
Relationships with in-laws can be complicated! But after the death of a spouse, things can really go off the rails! In this emotional and eye-opening episode of Widow 180, we gather two widows, Renee and Gretchen, for a candid round...
285. How To Cope When Life Feels Overwhelmingly "Griefy"! - A Quick Tip Tuesday Episode
Life can feel "griefy". You know what I mean! Some days are heavy in a way that's hard to explain — not a crisis, exactly, just "griefy". And then there are the moments a wave hits out of nowhere: a song, a habit, reaching for the p...
284. From Suicide Widow To Remarried & Thriving! Rachel Powell On Grief, Healing & Finding Hope Again
In this deeply honest and moving episode, I sit down with Rachel Powell — widow, remarried wife, mother of a "super blended" family, and founder of Hope Speaker — to talk about the messy, complicated, and ultimately hope-filled path she's walke...
283. Finding Purpose After Loss: A Widow's Guide to Choosing Joy Again!
Losing a spouse is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can go through, but grief doesn't have to be the end of your story. In this uplifting episode, we explore what it really means to find purpose and meaning after loss, and why ...
282. "He Built His Dream in Tanzania — Then I Got the Call" Interview With Gia Ilole
Gia was 19 when she met Jonas and she loved him almost from the start, even though fate took a few tries to bring them together. What followed was a whirlwind life: a blended family, two kids ten years apart, constant moves, and a marriage buil...
281. Sorting Through A Spouse's Belongings - A Widow (and Widower!) Roundtable Gets Real About Grief, Clutter, And Letting Go Of Things
What do you do with the clothes still hanging in his closet? The shoes that seem to multiply the moment you try to pack them away?! In this raw, unfiltered Widow 180 roundtable, four guests — three widows and a ...
280. Widow Brain Meets ADHD: Navigating Grief, Guilt, and Identity After Suicide Loss (with Jennifer Dall)
What happens when widow brain and ADHD collide? In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Dall — grief-informed neurodivergence specialist, founder of Curveball Press, and widow of four-plus years — to unpack how grief and neur...
279. The 5 Stages of Widowhood Healing (Not the Grief Stages You've Heard Before)
If you're listening to this at 2am because grief won't let you sleep, or three years out wondering why you still don't feel like yourself — this episode is for you!Forget the 5 stages of grief you've heard about a hundred times. ...
278. "He Died 3 Weeks After Diagnosis"- Julie Wright Halbert on Sudden Loss, Grief Literacy, and Transformational Healing
Julie Wright Halbert was a national education attorney, married 22 years, when her husband Jim started losing weight and running a fever — symptoms doctors first mistook for an infection. Three weeks later, he was gone. ...
277. "I'm Not the Mom I Used to Be": Grief, Identity & Solo Parenting After Widowhood - What Widows Are Really Thinking with Priya Menon
Losing a spouse doesn't just take your partner - it can take your identity, too. In this deeply honest post-interview chat, guest Priya opens up about what it really means to rebuild your life as a widowed mom: the loneliness of making every de...
276. "Are You the Wife?" - One Widow's Raw Story Of Sudden Loss, Grief, And Finding Meaning Again
In this deeply moving episode of Widow 180: The Podcast, occupational therapist, author, and widow Rondalyn Whitney shares the raw story of losing her husband Bill in a sudden car accident during the COVID-19 pandemic....
275. Words Of Encouragement For Widows This Father's Day Weekend!
I want to offer you some words of encouragement on this Father's Day weekend.Maybe this is your first Father's Day without your spouse. Or maybe it's the second, or the fifth, and it still feels just as painful as the first.Whethe...
274. Should I Take Off My Wedding Ring After Loss? Widow Roundtable #2 on Timing, Guilt & Moving Forward
"When should I take off my wedding ring?"Most widows face this question at some point after loss.In this second roundtable discussion episode of Widow 180, three widows—Melissa, Tracy, and Danette—join the conversation to discuss ...
273. How Travel Helped Me Heal After Sudden Widowhood: Points, Miles & 9 Countries With My Kids - Interview with Tiffany Rampey
"Choosing joy and seeking it has made my life truly joyful again... there's still so much life to live." ~Tiffany RampeyIn this inspiring episode of Widow 180: The Podcast, fellow widow and world...
272. How Diving Into Art And Publishing Her Late Husband's Book Is Helping This Widow Heal - Interview With Ksenia Merck
"I've seen death in the face numerous times. I. I am going to do something going forward that is going to help people in a big way. And so I am. I am. I'm doing it." ~Ksenia MerckKsenia Merck joins the show to share her powerful story of...
271. Surviving Black Sunday, Grief in the Public Eye, and Finding Hope After Tragedy - Interview With FDNY Widow And Author Eileen Bellew
“Behind every heroic firefighter, there is a man that has many, many different lives that we should be honoring also.” – Eileen Bellew, FDNY widowWe welcome Eileen Bellew, author of After John Jumped, for a deeply moving convers...
270. Why You Don't Recognize Yourself Anymore: Identity Lag In Widowhood
Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Who am I now?”? Today we dive deep into the concept of "identity lag"—the uncomfortable, confusing gap between who you were before losing your partner...
269. "We Are In This Club That No One Wants To Be In" - Interview With It's Lifey Founder Jen Newberg
Jen Newberg shares her journey through heart-wrenching loss, unexpected chaos abroad, and the path to healing through connection. After a blended family, second marriage, and overcoming personal struggles, Jen tragically lost ...
268. You're So Strong: Widow & Author Leslie Harter-Berg on Sudden Loss, Solo Parenting, Remarriage After Grief, and Finding Yourself Again!
Leslie Harter Berg's entire world changed in a single instant. At just 30 years old, she became a widow with two grieving toddlers.In today's episode, Leslie shares the raw, unfiltered story of sudden loss, early widowhoo...
267. Why Do People Stop Calling After You Lose A Spouse? - And What Widows & Widowers Can Do About It!
Why do friends and family stop calling, texting, or checking in after you've lost your spouse?While every grief journey is unique, so many widows and widowers experience the pain of disappearing support just a few months after t...